Finance Major: What It Includes, Classes and Careers

A Finance major studies how individuals and organizations raise, invest and manage money. Finance majors learn corporate finance, investments, financial markets, banking and risk management, using quantitative tools and financial software.

A Finance major includes coursework in corporate finance, investments, financial markets and institutions, financial statement analysis, and risk management and more. You build skills such as financial modeling, spreadsheet analysis, risk assessment, and quantitative reasoning. Typical degrees: bachelor's and master's degrees.

Typical courses include corporate finance, investments, financial markets and institutions, financial statement analysis, risk management, and personal financial planning. Exact course names and requirements vary by college, and most degrees also include general education courses.

It depends on the level. Finance is offered as certificate, associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral awards at U.S. colleges; certificates take from a few months to about two years, an associate degree usually takes about two years of full-time study, a bachelor’s degree usually takes about four years of full-time study, a master’s degree usually takes one to two years after a bachelor’s, and a doctoral or professional degree takes several more years beyond that. Part-time study takes longer.

Bachelor's and master's degrees. In the latest federal data, 164 colleges reported certificate awards, 55 colleges reported associate awards, 691 colleges reported bachelor’s awards, 150 colleges reported master’s awards, and 8 colleges reported doctoral awards.

Career paths connected to finance include financial analyst, financial advisor, loan officer, credit analyst, financial manager, budget analyst, insurance underwriter, and financial risk specialist. Some roles need additional training, experience, certification or a license.

Examples include financial analyst (typical training: 4 years), financial advisor (typical training: Long-term on-the-job training), loan officer (typical training: 3–6 months for mortgage licensing), credit analyst (typical training: Bank credit training programs), financial manager (typical training: 5+ years of experience), and budget analyst (typical training: Entry-level with a degree).

Finance majors build skills such as financial modeling, spreadsheet analysis, risk assessment, quantitative reasoning, and client communication.

Good pairings include Economics (explains the economic forces behind markets and rates), Accounting (helps you read and analyze financial statements), Mathematics (strengthens the quantitative skills behind modeling), and Data Analytics (prepares you for analytics-heavy finance roles).

It can be a good fit if you are interested in the work it leads to, such as financial analyst, financial advisor, and loan officer, and enjoy subjects like corporate finance and investments. No major guarantees a job, so compare the coursework, the careers and the education each career requires before deciding.

How hard it feels depends on your strengths. Core coursework includes corporate finance, investments, and financial markets and institutions; if those subjects interest you, the major is likely to feel more manageable. Reviewing a college’s course list and talking to current students helps you judge.

838 U.S. colleges reported awarding degrees or certificates in this field in the latest federal (IPEDS) data. Programs can have different names at different schools.

Texas (60), Pennsylvania (54), New York (52), Ohio (40), and California (36), based on the colleges that reported awards in this field.

774 of the colleges that offer finance also report offering at least one program entirely online, though not necessarily this one. Use the college search with this major and “Offers fully online programs”, then confirm with the school.

Finance studies how individuals and organizations raise, invest and manage money. Business Administration is a broad business major that covers management, finance, marketing and operations. Finance leads to careers such as financial analyst and financial advisor, while Business Administration leads to careers such as general and operations manager and administrative services manager.

Finance studies how individuals and organizations raise, invest and manage money. Marketing studies how organizations understand customers and promote products and services. Finance leads to careers such as financial analyst and financial advisor, while Marketing leads to careers such as marketing manager and digital marketing specialist.

Yes. Short online career training can help you understand a specific job and build practical knowledge alongside your classes. It does not replace your degree or any required license.

No. Career Education Institute is not a college and does not award degrees. It offers short, non-credit online trainings about jobs connected to finance, such as Financial Analyst Training.